Have you ever
noticed that it is quiet in the upper part of A fleet? When have you heard one
of the top five in a regatta yell at someone? Have you ever noticed that when a
boat lower in the fleet is late tacking for a leading starboard boat, they just
duck a bit and keep going? Have you ever noticed that the top captains almost
never turn head to wind in such cases?

There are many
other examples. Knowing the rules is a good thing and integral to strategy but
enforcing the rules is not a priority to a good race plan. Contact and yelling
is counter to concentration and management on the course. Incidents reduce
visibility as one’s vision becomes more focused in one area. While you may
escape one situation, another will follow and another. Freedom to tack, clear
air and proper course evaporate when the chessboard is no longer in view. Being
dead right is a mind killer and fatal in a fleet race. The gravity well of the
relegated and dreaded bottom four begins to spiral tighter and tighter.

You will note
that the top five rarely call an infraction of the rules among themselves or
announce a position of rights. Most infractions here are announced by the
offending boats, as rare as it may be. Visibility is good but sometimes you will
hear, “Do you see me, Vern?” “I see you, Leroy.” That is enough to head off
anxieties.

These captains
know how to sail fast. If you are ever overlapped with one and feel the pride
that you are just as fast, consider the reasons they finish ahead of you in a
regatta. Let’s explore considerations within a few rules. Maybe a different
attitude would make you sail faster.

18.2(c). Not Overlapped at the Zone

If a boat is clear ahead at the time she reaches the four-length zone,
the boat clear astern shall thereafter keep clear. If the boat
clear astern becomes overlapped outside the other boat she shall also
give the inside boat room. If the boat clear astern becomes
overlapped inside the other boat she is not entitled to room. If the
boat that was clear ahead passes head to wind, rule 18.2(c) no longer
applies.

Rule 18, the
whole rule, may appear complicated to the beginning sailor. If the rule is taken
in its parts you will find that it lays the groundwork for the story of how
competitors will organize a mark rounding in close quarters. The simplicity of
it is that if boats are not clear ahead or astern, they are then overlapped and
the inside boat will be allowed to complete the rounding. There are other
nuisances, like the differences between room and right of way, but
this is the basic pecking order to an organized mark rounding.

Whereas, the rule
is for all boats at the rounding extending outward through the radius of the
four-length zone, each boat outside of another (an inside boat) will keep clear,
etc. It is because of this “Domino Effect” in fleet racing that you will hear
the most conversations during the process. The very inside boat should not have
to call for room to round, however, moving outward through the radius, the
visibility becomes less due to the concentration of boats. Hence, you will often
hear, “94 needs to move to give an inside boat room.” One or two of these
statements should be enough for the entire group to know that inside boats are
going to start moving outward toward the outside boats. It is the thing you have
read here before, “Cooperate and Graduate” and get back to racing when the task
is done.

So, what happens
if this is not an orderly process? Boats start bumping into each other and in
most cases a raft-up ensues and possible rig entanglements. Meanwhile, those
that were minding the process sail on. Attitudes become frayed and often
protests are hurled about. The attitude should be that of getting loose and the
protests are essentially irrelevant.

Two things cause
this mess; failure of the fleet to maintain reasonable separation under the rule
during the rounding and/or a boat clear astern steers to the inside, runs out of
room (and rights) and begins a cascading effect of bumper boats. Experienced
captains will see this latter boat bearing down on the organized boats that have
slowed as part of the rounding and call something like, “94, don’t go in there,
you don’t have rights.” Well, it is not a question of rights at the time of the
call but they know what will happen if 94 hits another boat and she will not be
right and will further create the mess feared.

If boats do
become rafted up or entangled within the zone during the rounding they are still
clear ahead of another boat arriving into the zone. It must be remembered that
this rule applies as any boat arriving while others are in the zone is clear
astern and should keep clear of all boats. It is very tempting to head for the
inside of a raft-up and gain several positions. Experience is that this is
perilous and open space to make the rounding can disappear rapidly and often
after there is no means to maneuver outside.

Considerations to this rule:

Understanding
rule 18 in general is to understand the order of the rounding process. That is
the important part. If a half dozen boats are arriving at the first windward
mark together, they will most likely all be on the same tack. It is time for
everyone to concede their position, fall into an orderly formation and
accomplish the rounding with smooth sailing and calm nerves. It is not a time to
enforce the rounding rule but to follow the spirit of it. This is fleet racing.
You may need to give a little.

While this may be
good advice and intentions, human nature has other tendencies in the competitive
spirit. These need to be overcome but the fact is that most will be reluctant to
give a little. They will tend to pinch toward the mark, are reluctant to move
outward and give room, get boxed in with no escape route or will dive inside
looking for an opening. It only will take one to become a problem for all.

It is the rule
that creates the order and states the discipline. When something happens the
rule or discussion about it will not correct the situation. The cause of the
problem is not important now and locating the offender is not the energy needed.
All supposedly knew the rule going in and now that something has happened, the
rule does not matter for the moment.

Those are the
considerations in attitude. Here are some considerations that will increase your
percentages in sailing faster. While the spirit of the rule should be in mind,
the primary mission here is to make the rounding and avoid an incident even if
you have to give a bit of your right of way. Know this: You will not be in clear
air; you will not have freedom to tack and proper course will be that which you
can get. Start thinking well ahead of your boat and live with it.

1.Start
glancing forward into the zone to know what your position will be on your
present course. Consider room to escape to the outside and when that door will
close.

2.Is your
position secure in an overlap with room to keep clear? If so, make light
conversation with those near you so they understand that you know they are there
and hence, they will know you are where you are.

3.If you are
clear astern, you have lost the windward leg. Your mission now is to sail smart
to secure a high finishing position. You are NOT going to win this heat at this
mark.

a.The
percentages are that if you move inside and attempt to go through a hole, you
are going to touch someone and loose big time. Worse is that you will cause a
chain reaction of collisions and draw it the ire of your shipmates. Once you
have extradited yourself and completed your penalty, it is likely you will
finish at the bottom of the heat and be relegated.

b.The
percentages are that if you choose early to move outside you will do so with
speed, open water and freedom to maneuver. That will be better than what is
going on inside and if there is a problem you are very likely to gain positions.
At least you should be no worse off than when you entered the zone.

c.If the view
ahead is orderly, voices calm and you have an escape route (freedom to tack or
reach) proceed but be alert. Remember, escape is not just to the outside. You
will not evaporate in a nuclear explosion and never see your shipmates again if
you duck under the mark, do a 270 turn in open water and get back into the
stream of the mark rounding again. You may loose fewer positions, possibly none,
than other alternatives that could have made you part of flotsam.

4.Be less
sensitive and allow flexibility in your process. Do not be looking for penalties
and some contact here can be incidental as all are trying to keep clear. Think
about the trying to get aboard an underground train. You will get jostled a bit
but a confrontation will not be a good tone for the rest of the day.

- - - - - - - - - -

Rule 16 is a
partner to rule 10. When the rules were overhauled for 1997 it was peppered with
a spirit of no contact. One was to restrict “Hunting” and end this macho
insanity of intimidation. As a crewman on the foredeck of a Wiley 33 in the
early 70s, I was petrified of port/starboard crossings as my captain was a
hunting fool and would announce loudly on the megaphone for the other skipper to
prepare to be rammed. The rule was further clarified for 2001 as to the
disciplines.

16.2 In addition, when after the starting signal boats are about to cross or
are crossing each other on opposite tacks, and the port-tack boat
is keeping clear of the starboard-tack boat, the starboard-tack
boat shall not change course if as a result the port-tack boat would
immediately need to change course to continue keeping clear.

The two
illustrations seen on this rule are of a port tacking boat approaching a
starboard tacking boat and of a port tacking boat that will pass clear ahead of
a starboard tacking boat. In the former, should the starboard boat sail lower
than her course toward a port tacking boat that is keeping clear and cause her
to further alter her course, the starboard-tack boat is in violation of the
rule. The latter, which is closer to the meaning of hunting, would be in
violation if the starboard tacking boat turned up into the wind to interfere
with a port tacking boat that would have otherwise passed clear ahead.

You may have
heard when someone calls “Starboard,” that the other boat will respond with,
“Hold your course.” Now, the rule says that. Actually, it says that you can
alter course but not so as to cause the boat trying keep clear to make a further
effort.

This rule is
little known but is not generally a problem in our fleet racing. However, part
of it illustrates some thought toward those competitive genes that lead us along
the wrong path. One that is on starboard hates to have a port tacking boat pass
clear ahead. On the next lay lines the boat will then come at you on a starboard
tack and further insult.

The port tacking
boat is on a higher rung of the ladder than you. Suck it up and move on. The
rookie mistake is turn up regardless of the reasons, even if there is fear of
contact. The competitive spirit is to turn up. Think about it. Turning toward
the bow of another boat is inviting disaster. If you turn up, even trying to
avoid her, you are outside of rule 16 and the issue will become a fog while
others pass you both. The safest route and the FASTEST is to pass astern.

A major
competitor recently said in discussions of this rule that if the port boat was
not really clear, the only choice is to pass closely for a “Love tap on her
stern and your starboard gunwale.” This captain also has good eyes.

- - - - - - - - - -

The next time you
are stuck in traffic or driving 600 miles to a regatta, think about the past.
How many times did you finish lower in the race than expected? And, regardless
of fault, how many were related to contact? Could they have been avoided, even
by giving up some of your rights?

Think about it.
Sail fast. Avoid possible problems. Avoid penalties. It is very quiet in A
fleet.